While I'm no great fan of BALPA's efforts in the past, I am a member and have been for some years. I believe that they are now a great deal more effective than they used to be, or than people give them credit for.
However, they are a small union. I think the current membership is around 6000, including quite a few who are on associate or unemployed subscriptions. That doesn't add up to a lot of money, even with the (apparently huge
) contribution from the employment conferences, when BALPA's remit is so large. Don't forget that they have a significant technical input into aviation, as well as the safety, welfare and legal responsibilities that are more obvious - and it all costs, big time.
I do believe that more could be done for wannabes from within the union, but it requires voluntary labour from those closest to that particular coalface. And that, as ever, is where things tend to get stuck. As you will find,
carb if you get anything going on your own, or decide to do it from within BALPA (a better solution, in my view), the work that needs doing will not be matched by the labour needed to do it. And there are always plenty who are willing to complain that your efforts aren't good enough!
As for the 'foreign pilots' debate, Wannabes is not the place for it.
Scroggs
Virgin/Wannabes Moderator
[email protected]